


Heat Wave

by Sociallyawkwardwriter



Category: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-05-04 19:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14600514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sociallyawkwardwriter/pseuds/Sociallyawkwardwriter
Summary: Prompto is on a treasure hunt when something goes terribly wrong. But Gladio is there to save the day!!!





	Heat Wave

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that English is not my first language, so please feel free to point out any mistakes you might find. Oh, and please consider to leave a comment, that would make me very happy!

The stench of moldy stone permeated the air in the shallow cave. It was only disturbed by the rare sunbeam breaking through the odd crack in the ceiling, where time and people had caused the structure to weaken and crumble. A thick wetness laid over the ground like a blanket, the air becoming too heavy to breathe. The subtle noise of thousands of tiny creatures echoed from the walls, dulled by a covering of green and brown moss. Like thunder, the steady trickle of water was roaring in Prompto’s ears, his heartbeat racing against it in his chest. Man, he hated caves!

  
A cold shiver was running down his back, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. His eyes darted nervously from one dark corner to the other, praying that no giant beetle decided to eat him for breakfast. His meat was stringy at best; really, it wasn’t worth the effort of chasing him. Surely, the giant beetles would see that as well.

  
His lonely footsteps seemed inappropriately loud in the humid quiet of the cave, each hesitant step bringing him closer and closer to his goal. A legendary treasure, supposedly buried in that exact cave by refugee farmers, was said to be located behind a hidden trap door at the center. Prompto licked his lips, his imagination running wild with all the possibilities. Diamonds and rare trinkets. Gold, coins and even more gold. He was nearly salivating. He remembered the manic look in Elihas’ eyes as he had spoken about the treasure, the promises of wealth and recognition. Prompto smiled to himself, unseeing of the dark eyes watching him. Yes, he remembered Elihas.

  
\---------------

  
It had all started with the foreign trader who came through Lestallum a few weeks ago, the same time they were staying at a hotel in town. His weapons were rare, as well as of good quality and the prices fair, so they had taken notice. They’ve heard from one of the local dealers that he had settled down at the marketplace for a fortnight and decided to take a look at his goods before they were due to leave for Insomnia. It was hot that day, as it almost always was in Lestallum.

  
The streets were bustling with people, giggling girls, no older than Gladio’s little sister, coyly batting their lashes, young children running to greet them and old folks sitting on their benches as always, decidedly not impressed with the youth of today. It took them a while to wade through the masses, Noctis stopping every once in a while, distracted by people and food. Gladio was dutifully staying close behind him, not letting any threat near the heir to the throne. When they finally reached the market, the sun had already risen high in the sky, making sweat beads roll constantly down Prompto’s back, the dark clothes of the royal guard only serving to attract the heat even further.  
The foreign trader was easy to spot, an assortment of local guards and traveling hunters already crowding his stall. The man himself was as extraordinary as his goods, his long, dark hair held back with a lightly colored band, his dark complexion complemented by the beige linen clothing he was wearing. The heat didn’t seem to affect him, a cup of hot liquid was held calmly in his big hand as he bargained with his clientele.

  
Prompto was taking a closer look at a crossbow made out of gleaming steel when another one of the local hunters approached. He was young, his face still boyish, but handsome. Prompto remembered running into him a few times in one of the local bars and usually, they didn’t stay long enough to empty their drinks. The young hunter smiled at him charmingly but quickly turned his focus to the foreigner.

  
“Elihas. Didn’t knew you were in town.” The trader’s responding grin was wolfish as the two men shook hands forcefully. “You know me, full of surprises.” The bustling of the full marketplace dulled their laughter. “And?” the hunter asked, shooting Elihas a sly look. “What are you really here for?”  
“You know me too well, Friend.” The trader smirked, taking a step closer, his voice barely audible over the steady thrum of human noises. “You know I can’t resist a good adventure. And I was promised one here.” The hunter arched his brow inquiringly, his head dipping to fake interest in the weapons before him. “Do tell.”

  
The stance of the foreigner changed, his shoulders tensed and his face closed off. “A treasure.” He fell silent for a second before his whole demeanor relaxed again, a beautiful smile gracing his feature. “There’s really nothing more I can tell you, Friend.” The fake friendliness radiated off him like the foul stench of a cadaver. He quickly turned to one of the other customers inquiring about his goods, but Prompto’s interest wasn’t so easily deterred. He had to know more.

  
\---------------

  
He waited until the sun went down in a bright, red ball of fire and the activity of the market started to die down. Finally, the coolness of the night overpowered the last residues of the sweltering heat, a collective sigh rushing through the air. With silent footsteps, he closed in on his prey, a confident smirk gracing his features.  
“Oh, it’s you again!” Elihas didn’t seem too surprised to see Prompto again, even at such a late hour. He sat crouched down to secure his goods, but as he stood up, Prompto noticed for the first time, how tall the foreigner actually was. He easily towered over Prompto and he might have been even taller than Gladio. Not only that, but he looked strong, his arm muscles bulging the tight shirt. Prompto felt small and helpless compared to him and the way Elihas was smirking at him, Prompto couldn’t find it in him to complain. He tried to smile coyly at the foreigner, but he was sure it came off more as cheeky.

  
“So, you mind telling more about this treasure?” Elihas smirk grew as he casually took a step towards the smaller man. His fingers tangled promisingly in Prompto’s blonde hair, the light tugging making a small groan escape his lips. “Depends on what I’m getting in return.” Elihas’s voice was rough and Prompto couldn’t believe how much of a cliché this whole situation was.

  
He took the large hand of the foreigner, his weatherworn skin tight against his. He could feel his heartbeat pumping through his veins, filling him with excitement and life, as he pulled him towards the hotel they were staying at. All of his senses were honed in on the other man, his mind filled with all of these images that were about to come true. He didn’t even notice the dark eyes following their every movement, a heated anger burning in them, brighter than any of the lights in the nightly streets of the city.

  
\---------------

  
After their night together, Elihas had told him about the secret treasure he came to Lestallum to hunt. Unfortunately, he had received the note that his father had suddenly fallen sick, so he would have to leave the next day and couldn’t pursue his adventure any longer, but as a thank you gift, he left Prompto with an obscure map to the treasure, the sloping scrawl barely decipherable.

  
And that’s how he ended up here. Prompto sighed, trying to loosen some fallen debris that had stuck to his shoe. It had taken him weeks before he had found the right area to search for, days before he knew which spell to use to open the entrance to the cave. It wasn’t always easy, the traps were plenty and he wasn’t always quick enough to evade the predators lurking in the barely visible corners, hidden behind curtains of brown and green. The angry red and purple bruises all over his torso bore witness to that.

Admittedly, he wasn’t always concentrating as much as he should have been, his camera a constant distraction around his neck, hanging heavy and slowing him further down.  
He was taking photos of a beautifully marbled stone wall when danger crept upon him. A silent predator lurked in a wet corner of the cave, coming closer and closer without him even noticing. Even then, dark eyes were following him, only leaving his back for a moment to watch the snake winding itself in death’s grip. A bloody knife forcing its head to the ground, splitting it in two.

  
Prompto heard a dull thud, but as he turned around, only a dark red stain dirtied the cold grey surface. He couldn’t even be sure that it wasn’t there before.

  
\---------------

  
The shadows were already getting longer, when Prompto finally caught sight of the engraved symbols he was looking for. A heavy layer of greens was covering the majority of the artwork, but the sun had turned just so that one single beam shone on the ancient signs, causing the tarnished silver works to reflect the light. Prompto approached, his hands shaking. At first glance, it was only an inconspicuous patch of green grass. But as he swept some of the dirt away with his hand, the vague silhouette of a trap door became obvious. With trembling fingers, he felt around for a mechanism, some way to open the door and reveal the path to the enormous treasure. Dark eyes never leaving him, observing his every move.

  
“Ha!” He cheered when he could feel something give, the earth falling away to reveal the archaic mechanism, a complicated looking web of twists and turns deeply embedded in the sand. He was staring at it, his heart thumping like mad. He had no clue how to open the lock. Desperately, he grabbed the map again, trying to find a hint, one simple pointer in the right direction. He was so focused on the paper right in front of him; he didn’t notice the churning sounds coming from deep, deep beyond. The subtle movements of the lock, the intertwined lines winding like hissing snakes. The cold gush of wind finally made him look up, but it was already too late. The trap door had turned into a hungry whirl of quicksand, grabbing Prompto at his feet and dragging him down into the deep darkness of the cave. Prompto screamed, trying fruitlessly to grab for something, to hold on to something, but all he could grasp was loose sand that slipped through his fingers.

  
He hadn’t noticed the other person in the cave, watching him carefully, calculating every risk, every possible threat. Suddenly, a strong hand reached out, tightly grabbing Prompto’s and hauling him quickly back to safety, just as the floor started to collapse.

  
One moment, Prompto could still feel the sand tugging on his legs, the next he was flying through the air and landing one something hard and warm. The whole earth was shaking now, the floor collapsing all around them. Before he could realize what was going on, he was pulled towards the exit of the cave, his hand still held tight in a warm grasp. He felt the earth giving away under him, but with a leap they barely reached the land outside the cave, his legs shaky on the finally solid ground.

  
He was out of breath, the fresh air in the forest felt like a cold glass of water on a hot summer day, when he finally got a good look at his savior. “Gladio? Thank you so…” “You airheaded idiot! What were you thinking? Do you know how–” Gladio interrupted himself, his lips pressed together tightly. He took a deep breath, though if it was because of their escape or his anger, Prompto couldn’t tell. “Ah, forget about it. Let’s just go home.” He led Prompto to a place in short distance to the cave Prompto had ventured in. A motorbike Prompto was vaguely familiar with was hidden behind a few branches that Gladio cleared off. Effortlessly, he swung one leg over the seat, the howling of the engine soon echoing through the forest.

  
With a nod of his head, Prompto was told to get on (or else). He sat pressed close to the taller man, a weirdly familiar smell of leather and sweat calming his still racing heart. The body warmth was lulling him into security, even as the cold wind tore at his face. The adrenaline crash left him with a weird sense of limbo, his mind unable to keep up with what was happening.

  
Absentmindedly, he realized that they had already arrived at their hotel in Lestallum, Gladio leading him to their rooms. Upon their arrival, they had chosen their usual order, Noctis’ room was flanked by Ignis’ and Gladio’s and then Prompto’s room right next to Gladio’s. But when they arrived at their corridor, Gladio pushed him right past his door. Prompto looked up at him in surprise, before a noise at the other end of the hall deterred his attention.

  
Just at that moment, Ignis stepped out of his room, fixing his dark suit with confident moves, even though he, as always, already looked meticulous. He raised his head as he heard them, a small smile gracing his features. “There you are! When Gladio told us you had vanished, we were all worried.” Prompto raised his eyebrows. “You were?” “Of course! Though not all of us just up and left to search for you.” Ignis eyes darted to Gladio, but his face stayed stoic. “Well,” Ignis started, his eyes never leaving the taller man. “Good to have you back. I’ll tell Noctis that he can calm down. And then we will probably, I don’t know, go eat something or so. We most definitely will not be in our rooms. Okay?” Prompto looked at him uncomprehending, while Gladio simply rolled his eyes at him. Ignis chuckled and left them with a cheerful wave and a spring in his step.

  
Gladio didn’t leave him any time to consider their encounter and pushed him right into his own hotel room. “Sit”, he grunted and shoved the smaller man on his unmade bed. Prompto wasn’t sure if he was angry or just absentminded. Gladio immediately vanished into the bathroom, only to return a moment later with his first aid kit and a few potions. Without another word, he started to work on the scratches and bruises that were scattered all over Prompto’s body. He hissed when the medicine touched one of the wounds that was still sluggishly bleeding. “Sorry”, murmured Gladio, his voice so soft like Prompto never heard it before. He couldn’t stop staring at those hands that were so gently caring for him.

  
“You were worried about me?”, he dared to ask. Gladio’s fingers stopped for a moment, before resuming their chores. “Of course I was.” A hesitant smile appeared on Prompto’s features. “You always look out for me, don’t you?” Gladio didn’t reply, but Prompto noticed the slightly reddish hue of his cheeks. “Thank you”, he whispered, his fingers tangling in the long dark strands of the other man’s hair. Gladio’s hand darted forward and gripped Prompto’s wrist tightly. “Don’t”, he said, his voice rough. He looked the smaller man straight in the eye, his look full of sincerity. Prompto could feel his heart speeding up with something, he couldn’t really understand at that moment. “I won’t be one of your flings.” “Never.”

  
Then he could feel the warm press of lips on his own. He hadn’t even realized that he had closed his eyes. Arms circled around him, making him feel safe and loved and protected. No one else had touched him like this before. No one else could compare with this feeling that started in his chest and then permeated through his whole body. Heat radiated through him, making him dizzy, but he couldn’t stop. He might not be able to stop anymore for his whole lifetime, he thought and Prompto was more than okay with that.


End file.
